High School

One doesn't get the whole story about the success of the Cheshire High wrestling team by simply looking at the Rams' dual meet record. Cheshire is 4-9 after the first month of the season, but has wrestled some tough teams and found plenty of success in tournaments.

"The season can be a grind," Cheshire coach Eric Mills said. "We're preparing to be ready for the SCC tournament (in February), the Class LL tournament and the State Open."

With 13 seniors on this team, Mills set up a schedule to challenge the Rams. They signed to participate at the All-Valley Duals with three teams ranked in the top 10 of the state coaches poll at the time (Farmington, Windham High, Hand). They went to the Fairfield Warde Invitational on Saturday, an event with another two teams from the top 10 (Simsbury, Fairfield Warde) and a tough team from Mahopac, N.Y.

"We're not shying away from tough competition," Mills said. "We have some quality kids so we want to wrestle a quality schedule. In the long run, it will make us a better team."

There are plenty of teams in the Southern Connecticut Conference's A Division to challenge Cheshire, including defending State Open champion Xavier, Hand, Shelton, Jonathan Law and Guilford. The Rams have already dropped dual meets to Xavier and Guilford, along with a 40-39 loss on criteria to Shelton.

Cheshire will be attending the New Milford Invitational on Jan. 19 that will include Xavier, New Milford and Frankin, Mass. And there is the SCC tournament Feb. 9 at Shelton.

"We're a tournament team," Mills said. "We'll be recognized for the good things we do. It won't be so much in the dual meets but in the tournaments."

On Saturday at the Fairfield Warde Invitational, Massucci (138) and Vega (170) each finished second while Cervero and Bill James (182) finished in the top six. Massucci dropped a 6-4 decision after giving up five points in the first period. He just couldn't convert on a tying takedown in the third period.

The key to success in the tournament is continuing to wrestle hard even after a loss.

"Our guys don't like to talk about wrestlebacks until they are in them," Mills said. "We're trying to create a new mold here in Cheshire. We need to worry about the first match, not the few after that one. The guys are becoming focused at tournaments."

Mills isn't giving up on the SCC Division B title, either. Cheshire won the SCC B Division title in 2010 and 2011 before Foran grabbed it a year ago. The Rams host Foran on the final day of the regular season, February 6, and it could decide the SCC B Division race.

Mat time: Between the weather, illnesses and the tragic events at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Nonnewaug hasn't gotten a lot of time on the mat so far.

The Chiefs (6-1, 2-0 BL) were scheduled to participate in the Pomperaug tournament, which was the day after the Sandy Hook incident and cancelled. They also missed a tournament at Jonathan Law in Milford on Dec. 29 due to snow.

So coach David Green was thrilled to get his troops on the mat for Saturday's John Lawless Invitational in Woodbury.

"We're still trying to get healthy and get guys in their spots in the lineup," Green said. "It was a good day to see the kids out on the mat wrestling."

Nonnewaug finished fifth with four finalists. Freshman Kieran Duggan (113) got his first action of the season and won the event with a 5-2 win over Derby's Patrick Miko. Duggan's previous matches had been forfeits. Cain Hardisty (152), Albi Cekici (182) and Josh Zitnay (285) each finished second.

With five individual champions, Mt. Hope, R.I., won the tournament with 190 points ahead of Derby with 154. "They brought a whole different look to the tournament," Green said. "They were a little crisper with a real team effort. They really went after it. They were intense."

Pomperaug's Eric Gadski (138) and Mike Ushka (145) each won their respective weight classes while Steve Persson (152) and Dan Carbonaro (285) won for Oxford

BC TOURNAMENT: Terryville's Avery Ellegard (138) remained undefeated by pinning Ledyard's Justin Timberlake in 1:18 to win a title at the 31st annual Bristol Central Invitational. It earned him Ellegard the tournament's outstanding wrestler award. Five other Kangaroos earned medals by finishing in the top six.

Joe Bellmay (145) was second while Jake Wright (220) and Elliot Wilion (120) third. Justin Provonost (192) and Andrew Berman (106) each finished sixth in an event that included four teams in the state coaches top 10 wrestling poll (Ledyard, Farmington, New Milford, Bristol Eastern).

Ledyard used its depth to win the event for the fifth time and second year in a row with a 202½ to 185 win over Farmington. The Colonels had one champion but had four wrestlers in the finals and four wrestlers finish third.

Thomaston's Rigon Gilani finished third at 152 pounds with a 2-1 decision over Dom Notar of Mohonasen, N.Y.

Bristol Central's Tyler Burrow beat Farmington's Garrett Hastings, 6-3 to win at 132 pounds while Bristol Eastern's A.J. Mangual pinned Farmington's Brandon Marquis in 4:52 to win the 285 final. Eastern had five other wrestlers earn medals including Peyton Soucy, who was second at 126. Eastern was fifth in the event with Central taking sixth.

UPCOMING: No. 9 Southington (9-3, 3-0 CCC West) hosts No. 4 Simsbury (7-0, 1-0 CCC West) in a key conferece contest on Wednesday night. Simsbury hopes to challenge the Blue Knights, who have won the past three CCC West titles. … Nonnewaug travels to Terryville on January 16 in the key match of the season in the Berkshire League with the winner getting a virtual lock on the league championship.

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